Preparation of nonfermented beverages



April 19 1927. 1,625,542

F. HOSTETTLER' PREPARATION OF NONFERMENTED BEVERAGES Filed Auszv 23,1926 InJenfa-r; Z1 4 l9ashffle .wi'th humidified air.

Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

FFlC Ei.

FRITZ HOSTETTLER, OF BERN, SVIITZERLAND.

PREPARATION OF NONFERMEN'IED BEVERAGES.

Application filed August 23, 1926, Serial No. 130,993, and inSwitzerland September 17, 1925.

At the time of harvesting the fruit for making cider, the abundance ofmust is such that the employment of a large refrigerating andpasteurizing plant is essential in order to keep a sufiicient quantityin good shape during the whole year. The difficulties hithertoencountered in this respect by manufacturers of non-alcoholic beveragesmade of fruit juice; and the sometimes enormous loss by waste. in thismanufacturing process, which waste is due to the fact that in spite ofall precautions taken some musts will ferment unexpectedly haveincreased manufacturing prices to such an extent that it has not beenpossible heretofore to put on the market noi'i-fermented beverages madesolely from fruit juice at such a price that the market will becomelively at periods of great harvesting.

The object of the present invention is therefore a process which allowsnon-fermented must-s to be stored without using an extensiverefrigerating and pasteurizing plant, or without adding alcohol forpreserving purposes. The treatment of fresh juice may be undertaken atany time of the year and regardless of the outside temperature.

The new process cons sts in adding to the fresh fruit juice sulphurousanhydrid to such an extent that fermenting is prevented. This treatmentfrees the must of all impurities and permits it to be stored under thesame conditions as any other beverage. When the time arrives forconsumption of the must, the latter is desulphurated by means ofapparatus for transfusing it Moreover, in order to avoid thedisagreeable cooked taste peculiar to all non-fermented pasteurizedbeverages known up to date, the entire disulphurating is preferablyetfected at a relatively low temperature.

In the annexed drawing a plant is represented as an example with whichthe process according to the present invention may be performed. Theparts are represented diagrammatically but the smaller accessoriesgenerally used and known by men of the trade are not shown.

1 designates a float basin into which the sulph'urated must is deliveredthrough a pipe 2. Thence the must descends by a pipe 3 to the bottom ofa steam-heated reheater 4. A branch (3 of the steam feed pipe 5 joinsthe reheater and the temperature of the heated must may be controlled bya thermometer 7.

The must is then taken through a .pipe 8 into a desulphurating column 9at the top of which it is introduced through a diaphragm 10 having anadjustable passage way. The desulpl'lurating-column communicates bymeans of a conduit 11 with a con denser 12 connected by a pipe 13 to anonrepresented air pump. A humidifying device lt which serves as'a steamgenerator is heated by means of the feed pipe 5 and is fed with purewater from a non-represented conduit. The steam escapes through a pipe15 and is delivered into a pipe 16 which conducts the air fortransfusing the must from an air heater 1'? heated by a branch of thesteam pipe 5 into the column 9.

The bottom of the desulphur ting column communicatesby means of a pipe18 with a refrigerator 1.9 enclosing a coiled pipe joined to the suctionpipe 20 of a pump for the desulphurated must.

.At the time of cider making during the harvest period the fruit juiceis treated with sulphurous anhydrid which is incorporated into the juiceunder pressure and taken from carboys or steel bottles filled at theworks. This sulphurating produces an almost instantaneous cleansing ofthe juice by precipitating the pectines. A part of the sulphurousanhydrid remains however in solution as a preserving and antisepticagent in the liquid and prevents any fermenting. In this state the mustmay be kept in storage any length of time like any other fermented.beverage.

l Vhenever some must is to be used the sulphurated juice is introducedinto the reheating device 4 from the basis 1 and leaves the reheater ata given temperature and at a higher pressure than that existing in thedesulphurating column 9. On the delivery side of the diaphragm 10 asudden expansion of the vapours suspended Within the column will takeplace which facilitates expulsion of the sulphurous anhydrid. The juicewill descend to the bottom of the column at the foot of which thetransfusing air is introduced in a heated state from the air heater 1.7.This air is first humidified by means of steam generated in thehumidifier 14.

Controlling cooks are provided not only for varying the quantity of airadmitted but also for varying its humidity.

After ha ving' passed the column the (.l0- F-'lillJl1tltlt0(.l uice 1a..into the coil of the refrigerator 19 whence itis'; witlulrawn anddelivered into the receptacles for public use:

it may be remarked that the whole clesulphurat' operation can beperformed in- .iltlU or the column at relatively low temperatures, owingto the partial vacuum in said colunuh and can be carried out to such a(legrec that the objectionable cooked taste present, in mostnon-fer1nented beverages pro iluccrl tronr fresh juice is entirelyavoided.

Thus the use of cider at a n'iorlerate price can be greatly facilitatedanal can always he adapted to the casual need of the market, and thisowing solely to the parieular nature of the described process and theabsence of 2 .113 loss during the storing; of the must.

hat 1 claim as new and wish to secure by Lettere Patent is:

l. A process of preparing fruit juice flee, comprising the stepe ofadding rresh must a sutlicicnt quantity of sulphuroue anhyclricl tocleanse the must and cave a part of the anhyrlrid therein in solution,thereby to render the must capable of being stored for an indefiniteperiod withoutpasteurization or refrigeration; and subscquentlytrane'lusing the i'nust with humidified air to clesulphurate it.

In a process of preparing fruit juice beverages, the etcpa or heating"aulphurateii must, and trans'tusing the ilCfll'Ctl inuat with airhun'iidih'eil with steam in a column to lcsulphurate the must.

3. In. a process of preparing truit juice beverages, the steps oiheating sulpl'uu'atccl must to vaporize the sanan introducing the vaporsinto the upper part of a column, huiniclil ying heated air with eteainand in troclueing; the huniil'ierl air into the lower part of the columnto tranat'use and ileeuh phurate said vapors.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

